Apply

Celebrating Excellence: Award Categories for Youth Empowerment

Award Categories

The King Hamad Award for Youth Empowerment categories celebrate exceptional contributions towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Youth Action category honors young individuals making a significant impact, while the Youth Enablers category recognizes those who facilitate and support youth participation and achievements. 

Youth Action Category

Recognizing Youth Contribution to Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

This category is open to applicants from all UN member states. Applicants can be individual youth above the age of 18 years and below the age of 35 years; a youth-led entity (defined as any entity, in which at least 50% of current management/leadership is below age of 35); or a youth-focused entity (defined as any entity, in which at least 90% of resources serve youth from 15 to 35 years of age).

It includes up to five awards, each including a financial prize of USD20,000

Each of the possible 5 awards will recognize a unique and successful development initiative by youth in one of the 5 key aspects of sustainable development covered in Agenda 2030, namely:

  • The People Award:  Ending poverty and hunger in all forms.
  • The Prosperity Award:   Ensuring prosperous and fulfilling lives in harmony with nature.
  • The Planet Award:   Protecting our planet’s natural resources and climate for future generations.
  • The Peace Award:  Fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies; and
  • The Partnership Award:  Forging solid partnerships to implement Agenda 2030.

In evaluating submissions, jurors will consider the extent to which the development initiative has been informed by, or upholds, where applicable, key principles of holistic sustainable development underlying the vision of Agenda 2030, including:

  • Impact:  Impact of the initiative on SDGs achievement and taking action to better prepare for similar challenges in the future. Substantiated with:

    • Quantifiable results, linked to specific SDG targets, and where possible, indicators for SDGs measurement.
    • Validation of impact, through reference letters, one from people whose lives were affected by the initiative and another from a peer or mentor.
    • Previous recognition of the initiative, if any, national or international.
    • Integrated:  Addressing, in an integrated manner, the three dimensions of sustainable development, economic, social, and environmental.
    • No one behind:  Leaving no one behind, which includes being inclusive and focusing on and prioritizing the farthest behind. Addressed, in an integrated manner, the three dimensions of sustainable development, economic, social, and environmental.
    • Risk-informed: Incorporating risk prevention and management, and where applicable, forging links between development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding dimensions.
    • Gender Balance:  Helping to ensure that women and girls get full and equal opportunity to reach their full potential, thus enabling half of society to contribute to achieving full extent of development in line with the ambition of Agenda 2030.
    • Scalability and Sustainability:  If designed as a pilot or for small-scale of implementation, elaborate on potential for and feasibility of scaling-up the initiative to a larger, or national level, if applicable and measures to sustain and ensure future viability of initiative. If specific plans for sustainability had been elaborated, please include.
    • Innovation :  Elaborate on how the initiative goes beyond “business-as-usual” development action and incorporates creativity and innovation applying, the following principles for innovation as appropriate.

    Youth Enablers Category

    Recognizing Enables of Youth Participation, Action, and Impact for SDGs Achievements 

    This category is open to entities that that are legally recognized and registered in a UN member state, in one of the following four sectors:

     1) the governmental and public sector; 

    2) the private sector; 

    3) NGOs, Professional and Labour Organizations and Foundations; and 

    4) the media.

    It includes up to three recognition awards. Winning submission from NGOs/Foundations only may be eligible for an accompanying financial prize of USD25,000.

    Each of the possible 3 awards will recognize an initiative enabling genuine youth engagement & action for sustainable development in one of the following areas of enabling:

    • The Institutional Award: Dismantling institutional barriers and/or creating opportunities for youth participation and action (for example, initiating a strategy, policy, regulations, laws, initiative, etc.).
    • The Financial Award:  Providing young people access to start-up financing and/or tools for enterprise viability and development, including incubating initiatives, or similar assistance.
    • The Technical and Digital Award: Providing young people with knowledge assets. technical know-how, skill-building support, including incubating initiatives, or similar assistance and opportunities for tele-contribution and online engagement for youth.

    In evaluating submissions, jurors will consider the extent to which the enabling initiative has supported genuine youth engagement and action for sustainable development. In presenting the enabling initiative, submission narratives describing the initiative are expected to provide evidence of and/or elaborate on the following:

    • Impact:  Impact of the initiative on enabling youth engagement and action for SDGs achievement and specific contribution to enabling youth engagement and meaningful action and taking action to better prepare for similar challenges in the future. Substantiated with:

      • Quantifiable results,  providing numbers of young people benefiting and, where applicable amount of investment, for example:

        • Number of youth enabled to engage in SDG action (by dismantling institutional barriers and/or creating opportunities to youth action);
        • Amount of investment in youth SDG initiatives in the past year, by dollar amount and number of awardees, as relevant.
        • Amount of investment in learning and upskilling activities for youth to pursue their SDG initiatives in the past year, by number of certifications awarded, as relevant.

      • Validation of impact,  through reference letters, one from people whose lives were affected by the initiative and another from a peer or mentor.
      • Previous recognition,  of the initiative, if any, national or international.
    • Scalability:  If designed as a pilot or for small-scale of implementation, elaborate on potential for and feasibility of scaling-up the initiative to a larger, or national level, if applicable.
    • Sustainability:  Elaborate on measures to sustain and ensure future viability of initiative. If specific plans for sustainability had been elaborated, please include.
    • Innovation: Elaborate on how the initiative incorporates creativity and innovation applying, the following principles for innovation as appropriate; and
    • Involvement:  Elaborate on the extent of youth involvement in the design and implementation of the initiative